What You Need to Know About Child Care

Posted on: 21 September 2022

If your child is currently in daycare but they are close to kindergarten age, then you might not be sure whether to move them to kindergarten at this stage. While it might seem easier to leave them in the child care setting they are used to, there are some benefits to kindergarten learning. What are they?

Ease Your Child's Transition to School

While daycare centres can prepare your child for school, some children still don't transition well. Joining a new school with its different rules and more formal environment can be difficult for some children, especially if they have stayed in the same daycare centre for years.

Your child will have to leave their familiar child care environment. Even if you and your daycare's staff talk to your child about what will happen when they start school, they won't understand how this will feel until they actually get there. This can be a frightening and stressful time for some young children.

If your child goes to kindergarten when they are old enough, then they get a transition step between daycare and school. Kindergartens retain some of the structure of daycare, such as play-based learning; however, they ease children into the school system at the same time.

So, your child will be in a familiar environment at the start. They'll get the time and help they need to make a smooth transition into the school system. This should help them settle into the system with less stress and more confidence.

Your child will also be introduced to formal learning earlier in kindergarten. This makes it easier for them to keep up academically when they start school.

Familiarise Your Child With Their New School and Friends

Some children are daunted by moving to a new environment when they start school. They might also have to make new friends if none of the children they know in daycare join the same school.

If the school you want your child to attend has its own kindergarten, then your child gets to know the school, its buildings and its staff before they actually join. Chances are, they'll also spend their kindergarten time with other children who will become their classmates later.

If your child has an instant friendship group when they start school, then they will feel more comfortable. They're more likely to settle happily if they already know some of their classmates.

To find out more about the benefits of moving your child and to find out how this transition will work, visit local kindergartens.